Xi'an trip
1. Yongxingfang
Yongxingfang is located at No. 15, Dongle Lane, Xincheng District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. It is inside Zhongshan Gate (Xiaodong Gate) on the east side of the Xi'an city wall. It was one of the 108 fangs in the Tang Dynasty and the former site of the residence of Wei Zheng, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. It covers a total area of 15 mu, 130 meters long from east to west and 88 meters wide from north to south. In December 2014, Yongxingfang officially opened and became a 3A-level scenic spot.
The Yongxingfang Park is divided into eight blocks: Guanzhong Lane, Southern Shaanxi Street, Northern Shaanxi Li, Handicraft Workshops, Intangible Cultural Heritage Folk Street, 107 Street, Intangible Cultural Heritage Cultural and Creative Street, and Fu Street. It brings together the cultural "essence" of 11 cities and 107 districts and counties in Shaanxi. It is mainly built in the form of antique "fang, si" building complexes, archways, leisure green squares, inner streets, and well houses, reproducing the neighborhood form and historical life atmosphere of the ancient Chang'an city, as well as the traditional folk life space. In November 2022, Yongxingfang-Shaanxi Intangible Cultural Heritage Characteristic Block was selected into the 2022 "National List of Preferred Projects for the Integration of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Tourism Development".
Address and opening hours:
Address: No. 15, Dongle Lane, Xincheng District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province.
Opening hours: Open 24 hours.
2. Muslim Street
Huimin Street (also known as Huifang) is a famous food and cultural district in Xi'an. It consists of several streets including Beiyuanmen, Beiguangji Street, Xiyangshi, Dapiyuan, Huajue Lane, and Sajin Bridge. This area had become a gathering place for the Hui people in Xi'an from the late Northern Song Dynasty to the early Southern Song Dynasty, and developed into a traditional commercial activity area for the Hui people during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In 1992, Beiyuanmen Street was renovated. The asphalt road and brick sidewalks on both sides were paved with bluestone, and two-story buildings were built on both sides in the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In September 1993, an antique cultural tourism street was built here.
Architectural style: The roadsides are lined with imitation Ming and Qing dynasty buildings, shaded by green trees and paved with bluestone, creating an antique atmosphere. Most of these buildings are run by Hui people and are used for commercial activities such as catering and utensils, and have a strong halal flavor.
Food culture: It is the concentration of Xi'an food. The food here combines the flavor of Central Plains and Northwest style, forming a unique local characteristic. Visitors can taste authentic Xi'an snacks such as roujiamo, mutton soup bun, cold noodles, Qishan noodles, dumpling banquet, mirror cake, etc.
Cultural characteristics: It retains traces of ancient trade exchanges between the East and the West, and the mosques in the block demonstrate tolerance for multiple ethnic groups and religions. Here tourists can feel the exchange and integration of diverse cultures and understand the inclusiveness of Xi'an as a famous historical and cultural city.
Address and opening hours:
Address: No. 5 Beiyuanmen, Lianhu District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province.
Opening hours: Open 24 hours.
3. Terracotta Warriors
The Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum is located on Qinling North Road, Lintong District, Xi'an. It is a site museum based on the Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses and is also the largest ancient military museum in China.
The Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Burial Pits face west and east, and the three pits are arranged in a triangular shape. The first pit discovered was Pit No. 1, which is rectangular in shape and contains more than 8,000 terracotta warriors and horses, with sloping doorways on all four sides. There is a terracotta warrior pit on each side of Pit No. 1, called Pit No. 2 and Pit No. 3. Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit is the world's largest underground military museum. The Terracotta Warriors caused a sensation around the world after they were excavated and opened to the public. In 1978, after visiting the Terracotta Warriors, former French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac said: "There are seven wonders in the world. The discovery of the Terracotta Warriors can be said to be the eighth wonder. If you don't see the pyramids, you haven't been to Egypt; if you don't see the Terracotta Warriors, you haven't been to China." Since then, the Terracotta Warriors have been hailed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World."
Address and opening hours:
Address: Qinling North Road, Lintong District, Xi'an City.
Opening hours: Open at 08:30 the next day.
4. Bell and Drum Tower
The Xi'an Drum Tower is located at No. 1 West Street, Lianhu District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. It was built in the 13th year of Hongwu (1380) during the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang. It is one of the largest and best-preserved drum towers left over from ancient China.
The Drum Tower in Xi'an has a double-eaved hip roof, a pointed roof, and is covered with green glazed tiles. The building is square in shape and sits on a square brick base. It is 53.8 meters long from north to south, 35.5 meters wide from east to west, 34 meters high, with a total area of 1,922 square meters, and the bottom wall is 8 meters wide. The Drum Tower consists of three parts: the base, the building body and the roof. The base is square, built with blue bricks, 8.6 meters high and 35.5 meters wide, with arched doorways on the east and west sides.
Address and opening hours:
Address: No. 1, Xidajie, Lianhu District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province.
Opening hours: Open at 08:30 the next day.